Fabric-weaving machine



May 24,1927. i A 1,629,952

' l J. E. FEFEL FABRIC wEAvING MACHINE ,Filed May 29, 1926 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENToR. 27o/afa Ejf @JLM v ATTVORNEYS.

May 24, J E FEFEL FABRIFC WEAVING MACHINE Filed May 29, 1926 5 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. J 0/212 Eefl BY Y ATTORNEYS.

Patented May 24, 192,7.

UNITED STATES iwfrlsa'r OFFICE.

JOHN '.E.`FEFEL, OF '.BRIDGEPOBT, CONNECTIICUT, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO FRANK J'.

HOIEIY,v Ol'v NEW YORK; 'N'. Y.

FaBam-wmvme MACHINE.

Application iled May 29, 1926. Serial No. 112,505'.

My invention relates to improvements in Vfabric weaving machines and has for its object to provideva machinejof 'this type, preferably ada tedfofr` weaving a narrow ribbon-like fa ric.as tape, braid, and the like,

A specific object of the invention is to provide afabric-weaving machine adapted for `weaving fabric like that disclosed and claimed in my co-pending application, Serial No. 98,066,.f1led March 29, 1926, and in which a reinforced selvage is provided at each longitudinaledge;

It is the purpose of -my to provi e a novel means forhandling the weft o `r 1ling threads in a fabric. without the use of a bobbin, shuttle, or the like, and

construction and arrangement which are associated to cooperate in a way to successively lay the weft threads in the warp, and, further, .to provide needle and looper means for looping selvage threads in relation to the edge'portion's ofthe weft whereby a. selvage is formed of the same structure and strength 95 at each side of the fabric.

I have further# shown means'and mechanisms for operatingithese weft and selvage thread-handling' needle and looper means, but which obviously inay be varied somewhat in their arrangement or. detail of construction and are, therefore, subject to such changes as may be necessary, and permissible within the scope and breadth of the claims to. follow.

By the use ofthe needle as appliedland operated in my invention, am a le to t ke the, filling and selvage threads directly fron the source-as, for

ato employ in their Ystead needles .of novel.

and looper means instance, a spool-thereby eliminating theA winding this vast' amount` bobbins, as is customary with the old *style of weaving machines,

40 labor involved in of material upon thereby saving a great amount of Iioor space as is now vrequired for this preliminary work. v l

' With the above and other objects in view, anembodiment of the invention isv shown in the accompanying-three sheets'of drawings, and this embodiment 'will be hereinafter 60 more fully described with reference thereto, and the invention will be finally pointed out in the c l-aimj.

lIn the drwings forming a part of this specification present invention chine.

a horizontally-disposed front plate member [more fully explained. I bearingsY 179-17 of the uprights anda third means; as, forinstance, a pulley 19, and

bearings 17 and 18, cams Fig. lshows a front elevation of a fabricweaving machine, according to the present embodiment of the invention.

.Fig 2 is an edge view as seen from the right of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged', sectional view through the rack and pinion mechanism,

taken on line 3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 shows a plan view of a sample lof fabi- 1c woven byv my improved machine.

i;F1gs. 5, 6, 7, and 8 are front and plan diagrammatic views respectively, showing steps, 1n the fabric *weaving operations of the needles and cooperating loopers carried 1n the lframe members of the weaving ma- Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view on the line 9-9 of Fig. 8.

Figs. 10 and 11 are further steps; and

Fig. 12 is a detail sectional view on the im@ laf-12015 Fig. 11.

Similar reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring, in detail, ,cto the characters of yreference marked upon the drawings, the machine includes uprights'12 and 13 which .may be mounted upon a base 14 and tied t0- gether at their upper portions by means of plan views showing and carry differ- 15 which L serves to\support as will later be ent'npaljts of the nachine,

The mainy drive shaft 16 is\mounted in bearing 18 which, like the uprights, is also supported upon the before smentioned base This; shaft is provided with driviig a so has mounted upon it, Intermediate of the 20 and 21, again to be referred to. An eccentric 22 is mounted u on this shaft intermediate of the bearin 1 --17, as are also cams 23 and 24, whic will ylater'be more fully described. On the end of the shaft is mounted a bevel pinion 25 that meshes `with`and drives a similar [bevel pinion/'2Wy secured on an upward lyextending diagonally-disposed shaft 27 that is journaledl in bearings 28-28 secured to the'upright 12. :AJ third pinion 29 is mount- Y, ed upon the upper end -of the shaft 27 and meshes with and drives a fourth pinion 30 secured to a transverse shaft 31y journaled in the upper portion of the uprights 12 and 13.

' A third transverse shaft 32 also has its end portions journaled in bearings of -the uprights 12 and 13 and serves to carry a drum 33 upon which the fabric is wound after being woven. AM ratchet 34 is secured to the drum and is operated by a pawl 35 carried upon a rocker-arm 36 journaled upon the shaft 32. 011e end of -a reciprocable connecting rod 37 is pivotedly connected to the outer end ofthis rocker-arm, the other end being. attached to a band 38 which en- ,15 circles and is carried by the eccentric 22 mentioned above. 4

By this means it will be seen that the drum may be s owly rotated, step by step, through the rotation of the shaft 1,6, its ec- .20 centric 22 and the pawl and ratchet mechanism connected with the drum. lin practice these operations are suitably timed so that the fabric is wound upon the drum as it is woven by the action of the weaving mechanism. y j' The mechanism forhandling and laying the warp threads mayfbe similar to that employed in ordinary weaving machines,`and,

therefore, I have ndt attempted -to show it complete inail respects, but have shown (see Fig. 2) -a harness 39 whereby the alternate warp threads are raised and lowered and thus woven around 'the weft or filling threads in the usual manner.` These warp threads (Whibh I will indicate as a-a) may be taken from a roll 40 mounted 'upon a' standard 41, saidfroll adapted to be roy tated as the' warp threads are drawn therefrom, against the resistance of-a weightl 42l 40 attached to a strap 43 which encircles a reduced part of the roll. 44 represents a reed,

.such as is commonly employed in weavingl machines, to pack th and which, in this'instance, ,is-carried in the 45' upper ends 'of vertically-disposed rockerarms 45--45 hinged to'a floor bracket 46, rand each-'carrying .ai rollI 47 'for engagement with the cams 2 3 and 24 mounted upon the e rweft or filling threads;

. before mentioned shaft.l6;. FrQmthis construction, it will be seen that tlie operation of the cams through their engagement with the rolls of the rockerwarms 45 will causei t-he latter and their reed 44 to be operated forward and backward to and from-the 5f woven fabric with each shiftingy of the harness, and laying ofthe filling threads in a `way to `pack said threads against the Warp y threads in th'e usual manner. l, The particular type of fabric which the achine is adapted to produce is shown in Fig. 4, and comprises the Warpthreads a-a, two weft threads b and 0 successively worked into the warp from opp/osito` sides, the laying of each thread being in `double strandsthat is, each thread is carried back on itself within a single shed of the warp, forming abight or loop projecting from the edge of the Warp at one side, and a connecting portion at the other side extending between the laid-in'strands, and selvage reinforcing threads d and e looped or interwoven at each edge with respect to the base and bight or loop ends of the laid-in weft strands.

For this purpose there,- are provided a pair of transversely reciprocating horizontally-disposed needles 48 and 49 and a pair of vertically reciprocating rotary louperneedle shafts 50 and 51 carrying louper-needle elements, hereinaftermore fully referred to.l The needles are disposed in horizontallyaligned relation with each other and are secured in diagonally projecting arm-supports 52 and 53 respectively mounted on recipro eating slide rods/54 and 55 slidably supported in suitable bearings or guides 56 and 57 secured to the uprights 12 and 13. At one end, the rods are provided with'eared sleeves 58 and 59 ivotally connected by links60 and 61 to t e upper ends of rocken-arms 62 and 63 hin-ged` at. their lower ends to floor brackets 64 and 65 and respectively carrying. rolls 66 and 67 whichv engagethe grooves of the cams 20 and 21Yearried upon the shaft16. l vThel weft threads are carried from spools 70 and 71, mounted upon suitable supports 72 and 73 through guide'loops 74 provided T.onJ the` respective arm-suppjrts 52 and 53, to the needle eyes provided'at the forward ends of the needles The vertically-reciprocating looper-needlel shafts 50 and 51 are mounted for vertical sliding and rotary movements in the vertical passages of a pair of bracket supports 75 and 76 secured upon the plate member 15; and at their upper ends -areprovided with annularly channeled collars 77 and 78 which rings 79 and 80 are engaged and have `trunnion connection with the yoke ends 8l and'82 of -levers 83 and 84 pivotally supported upon brackets secured to the inner side of the ,plate member 15. Rolls 86 and )87 are provided at the inner ends of the levers,`which engage the grooves of cams 88 and 89 provided upon the shaft 31, and which are designed to impart alternate upand-down movement to the looper-needle elements. Withinpockets 90 and 91, provided in the respective brackets 75 and 76, there are provided gears 92 and` 93 keyed upon the looper-needle shafts to prermit, longitudinal movement of the latter, and engaged by horizontally-disposed rack mem-bers 94 and 95. provided at their respective yinner ends with yoke portions 96 and 97 embracing the shaft 31, and carrying rolls 98 and 99 engaging the grpoves of cams l100 and 101 providedupon the shaft 31, and adapted to reciprocate the racks and, through the gears '92 and 93, to rotate the looper-needle shafts to and' fro through a quarter turn.

'65, tention than is necessary-with the usual type wardly, isl engaged in loop opening formed of ,there areprovided iatt-ened looper-needles ,102 and 103, shouldered, as vat 104 and 105, to oE-set thean'eedle from the shaft as clearly .indicated in Figs. '12 and 13, the selvage threads` d and e being carried to the needle eyes from spools 106 and 107 mounted upon `suitable supports? 108 and 109.

The operation of the machine (Figs. 5 to 12) is as follows:

The weft thread b carried by the needle 48 is laid in a shed of the warp from the left and is carried beyond the right-hand edgev where the loop'er-needle 103, moving down- -tween the needle'and the strand of the weft ,at one side, carrying downwardly thereto. (The needle 48 then starts its return movement, leaving the thread b looped about the looper-needle. and the selvage thread e carried thereby, and as Said needle 48 becomes free of the looperneedle, the latter is rotated a quarter tu'rn (as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9), so that a the selvage thread and the off-set needle is presented in alignment with the needle 49. The needle 49 hereupon moves to the left into the successive shed of the warp passing through such 0 loop of the selvage thread, whereupon the looper-needle 51 is moved upwardly, leaving the selvage thread looped about the needle 49, as indicated in Fig. 10. As the needle 49 reaches its fully projected position (Fig. 10), the looper-needle shaft 50 moves downwardly, engaging the looper-needle 102 between the needle and the weft thread c, the

selvage thread d carried by the looper-needle -being carried downwardly to form a loop;

4and thereupon, the needle is retracted (as shown in Fig. 11) and the looper-needle is rotated a quarterr turn to present opening of the loop of the selvage thread d "to the needle 48 which is then projected through it. As the needle49 reaches its retracted position, it draws the weft thread c'back through the loop formed in the selvage thread e, which llatter is then looped about the double strands' of said weft thread. With each operation of the needles, the drum 33 is rotated to feed the warp and wind up the woven fabric; and the harness 39 and reed 44 are operated in the usual manner to alternately raise and depress the warp and compact the weft. r

- A woven fabric is thus prod uced in which the weft is .formed of two threads fed from opposite sides, 'and each su plied from a single `source of supply, whi e each selvage is formed by a reinforcing selvage thread looped and interwoven with the end portions of the weft thread, and supplied from a single ,source of supply,

`may be continuously operated with less atlat-wise relation' bethe selvage thread el so that the machineof loom, and without the complication and floor space incident to the/shuttles or bobbins heretofore employed to feed the weft. Knit-ted and reinforcing selvages are produced at each edge byfinterweaving and looping reinforcing selvage threads with the weft threads; and a tape or braid of sym# metrical structure is providedy which will withstand pulling strains and wear equally, well ateach edge.

I have illustrated and described a prerferred and Isatisfactory embodiment of the invention, but it will be obvious lthat'changes may be made therein within the spirit and scopethereof, as defined in thel appended claims. j

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

.1. Ina fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means including a weft carrying element adapted to be projected between sheds of the warp, and selvage feeding means including a selvage carrying element adapted to produce loops in' such selvage thread through which the weft thread is passed. i

2. In a fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means including a weft carrying element adapted to be selvage feeding means including 'a selvage thread carrying element adapted to engage such thread in 'loops in the weft and to psoduce loops in such selvage thread through which the succeeding weftvthread is passed.

3. In a fabric weaving. machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means including weft carrying elements atl each side of the/wvarp adapted to be projected between sheds of the warp from opposite sides, and selvage feeding means including a selvage carrying'v element adapted to produce suce cessive loops in such selvage thread through which the respective weft threads are passed.

4. In a fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means includingweft carrying elements at each side of the warp adapted to be projected between sheds of the warp from opposite sides, an selvage feeding means at each side of the warp, each incudi'ng a selvage carrying element adaptedv o engage such selvage in the projected. portions of the weft threads at each side and to form a loop in such selvage threads through which the successive, weft thread is adapted to be pro'je ted.

5. In a fabric weavin machine, war feeding means, weft-feeding means inclu ing weft carrying elements at each the warp adapted to be respectively projected between successive sheds of the warp from opposite sides, and selvage feeding means .at each side of the warp, each including a selvage carrying element adapted PI'Ojected between sheds of the warp, and i5- l -ios diie:

d 1in side of said loop.

6. In a fabric )veaving machine, warp feeding means, weft Yfeeding means includ-y ing a weft carrying element adapted to "be projected betweensheds of the warp and .retracted to lay double strands of weft thread having a bight at one edge, and Selvage feeding means 'adapted to engage within said bight whereby a selvage thread is woven in looped relation therewith.

'd'. In a fabric weaving. machine, warp feeding` means, weft feeding means including weft carrying elements adapted to be projected between shedsA of the warp from opposite sides to alternately lay double strands of weft threads from opposite sides having bights at the respective projected ends,\and selvage feeding means at each sideof the warp, each including a selvage carrying element adapted to engage within lsai-d bights to .feed selvage threads therethrough and to form loops in such selvage threads through which the double'strands of the other weft thread are passed. A y

8. In a fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means 4including a pair of weft carrying needlesdisposedA in horizontal relation,one at each side of the warp, and each adapted to carry a weft thread, meanvs for alternately reciprocating said needles through the sheds of the warp whereby the weft'y threads are alternately laid from opposite sides, and selvage feeding means adapted to engage the weft lfthreadsupon projection between the-warp sheds and to form` a loop in such selvage thread through which the other weft thread .is adapted to be passed.` j

9. In a fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means including a reciprocating needle, thread supply means from which a weft thread is adapted to be continuouslyl supplied to said needle, means for reciprocating said needle through the shed of the warp, and selvage feeding v means including a selvage carrying `element adapted to produce loops in such selvage thread through which the `Weft thread is passed. .l i

10. In a fabric weaving ,machine warp feeding means, `weft feeding means inch ding a weftcarrying element adapted to e projected betweeny sheds of theyv warp, 'andl Iin respect to said weft thread.

,-11. In a fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, weft feeding means including a weft carrylng element adapted to be projected between sheds of the. warp, and selvage feeding means including avertically reciprocating loopen-needle element adapted to be engaged through the loop of the weft thread and to produce a loop in such selvage thread through which the'successive weft thread is passed.

12. In a fabric weaving machine, warp feeding means, wc'ft feeding means including a weft carrying element at each side 0f the warp adapted to be projected between sheds of the warp from opposite sides, and selvage feeding means including a pair of .vertically reciprocati g looper-needle elements adapted to lternately reciprocate into and out of engagement with the weft, to engagea such selvage threadsSW with the weft thread at each side, and to'produce a loop in such selvage .thread through which the successive weft threads are assed.

13. InD a fabricweaving mac ine, warp feeding means, weft feedingrmeans includ-A ing a weft carrying element Jadapted to be projectedbetween sheds of ,the warp,'a selvage feeding means includin which a selvage thread is adapted' to ybe continuously supplied to said "element, land means for reciprocating said element in respect tothe projected weft threads whereby such selvage thread is interwoven therewith.

a selvage carrying element, thread supp y means from` 14. In a fabric Weaving machine, warp\ feeding means, weftfeeding nieanslincluding weft carrying elements at each side, ofL

the warp adapted to be Aprojected between sheds of the warp from opposite sides`,'and

selvage feeding `means including a air of vertically reciprocatmg and looper-needle elements adapted to be-alternately reciprocated in'to and'outof engage-i` ment with the weft, to engage-fthe projected rotatable portion of each weft thread, and rotated to '1 form a loop in such' selvagel threads' for the passage therethrough of the k other 'weft' threa Signed at Bridgeport, in-tlie county of Fairfield and` State of Connecticutthis` 26th day of May, A. D. 1926; f

f JonNf E. yFE'FEL. 

